Finding the Right Job Abroad

There are numerous online resources for the job-hunter hoping to relocate to the Middle East, including www.mymiddleeastjobs.com which is updated regularly and also offers advice and a recruiter directory.

With a burgeoning population and increasingly prominent global profile, there will never be a shortage of jobs in the UAE across most industries, and historically Dubai was a significant centre for Western manufacturers. The preferential trading conditions offered by the various free trade zones throughout the UAE has attracted many kinds of business – the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, for example, comprises many manufacturing and distribution companies and as with all of the 20 trading zones throughout the UAE, companies trading from here benefit from 100 per cent ownership and a loosening of usual trading restrictions including no tax liability. It is conveniently located next to Jebel Ali Port and close to the airport for swift and efficient transport links.

Manufacturing accounts for approximately 13% of the economy and in the last 30 years the UAE has invested a reported $6.8 billion in industrial development. Linked to the region’s trademark crude oil industries, chemicals and plastics represent big business and Dubai Aluminium is a leading supplier to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The government encourages investment in manufacturing and offers low-interest loans (through the Emirates Industrial Bank) to private financiers willing to invest in manufacturing in the UAE.

Another career option in the Middle East is teaching. Many teaching jobs will be advertised either for ‘men only’ or ‘women only’, particularly those based in Saudi Arabia where male/female segregation is very much part of their tradition.